The Spectral Characterization of Novel Spacecraft Materials in the Low Earth Orbit Environment.

The protection of satellites from the harsh space environment is heavily reliant on external spacecraft materials. These materials undergo continuous changes in their physical, chemical, and optical properties due to exposure to solar radiation and aggressive chemical species present in Earth's upper atmosphere. By gaining a thorough understanding of how these material properties evolve over the planned lifetime of a mission, the reliability of spacecraft can be enhanced. Additionally, the establishment of correlation factors between actual space exposure and accelerated space weather experiments performed in ground facilities allows for the precise prediction of on-orbit material performance based on laboratory-based testing. This paper presents an assessment of the radiation effects of the low Earth orbit environment, including exposure to high-energy electrons, atomic oxygen, and vacuum ultraviolet, on the material properties of a prospective spacecraft polymer, Mylar® M021. The study is part of the 16th Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE), which our team conducted from 08/31/22 to 02/23/23. An overview of the MISSE project is provided, including details on the materials used, results of ground experiments, and preliminary findings from the orbital phase of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]